In the area of dental/periodontology implants, inferior lift technique has been used successfully for many years. In certain cases, the bone thickness in the region where the implant is to be inserted is not of ideal depth. The inferior lift technique involves drilling the bone to the floor of the sinus then breaking the floor of the sinus using osteotomes and exposing the schneiderian membrane. The membrane is then elevated and a bone graft is inserted into the opening. This bone graft eventually ossifies and provides a better thickness to properly support the dental implant.
However, there are at least two drawbacks associated with the present inferior lift technique. First, patients undergoing this procedure always describe it as an uncomfortable process due to the necessary tapping of the osteotomes against the bones involved. For example, even with proper anesthesia, an osteotome is still used to break the floor of the sinus to expose the schneiderian membrane. This tapping reverberates throughout the bone (and neighboring bones) and is uncomfortable.
Additionally, when using osteotomes, the repeated tapping on the sinus floor is somewhat imprecise and thus carries risk of rupturing the schneiderian membrane. If the schneiderian membrane is ruptured it can cause infection and otherwise delay the bone graft/lift procedure.